Back in the days here in Italy there was no way to get some Rap on Radio. To be honest, today is not really different. The only Rap on Radio is the commercial, MTV oriented, bad Hip Hop, that is around nowadays. Only once in a while we had a chance to put our hands on some cool mixtapes recorded from American Radio. We were basically excluded from live performances and from DJ’s shows. When I spent the whole summer in USA some years ago, I have realized how many great Radio shows are in place everyday in America and I was really disappointed because here in Italy and generally in Europe we do not have the same high quality music proposal. Only Tim Westwood was on the top with is show in UK. But today even Tim Westwood is doing really bad.

WBLS first broadcast in the summer of 1974 with Frenkie Croker. At that time they used to play R&B, Jazz, Pop, Reggae, Gospel, Soul and Dance music. It was often the number one FM station in New York from 1974 to 1978. After the 1978 It was not number one anymore but It got a stroke back and hit the number one again in the 1980 when WBLS started to play Rap music. At the really beginning WBLS was not really comfortable with playing Hip Hop. They claim Rap was a bad influence for African American people especially for the teenagers. The radio was blamed to be a “white owned black radio”. But the main reason why they began to play Rap music was not because of that, but was certainly for commercial reasons. Another white-owned New York radio, 98.7 Kiss FM, added more Rap to his playlist and that is when WBLS hired Mr Magic to conduct a weekend Hip Hop show.

Mr Magic is a legend. Check on Wikipedia his profile. Mr. Magic was one of the first, probably the first, to play hip-hop on the radio, and his pioneering Rap Attack show (with DJ Marley Marl) on WBLS New York radio was the birthplace of the Juice Crew, a collective of artists incuding MC Shan, Roxanne Shante, Craig G, Bizmarkie, Kool G Rap, Masta Ace, and Big Daddy Kane. Throughout the eighties the Juice Crew battled with Kiss FM’s DJ Red Alert and his stable of artists led by Boogie Down Productions

I have already posted a WBLS mix (with DJ Clark Kent) so you better check here.

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Yo I used to listen to Mr. Magic every weekend. His battles with DJ Red Alert and legendary… Let’s not forget about DJ Chuck Chillout either… They all were huge influences in my life as a youngster and I remember being up all night on fri and sat with my tape player ready to record everything… Much respect to yall!

i remember this. I grew up in NJ. Would always wonder what was so special about the Rap Attack on Saturday nights…those were my heavy metal days…then years later…I stay up all night listening to Stretch Armstrong and Bobbito.

Mucho love for this post. If you have other WBLS tapes please post. Fer sure.

Great 2 see some Mr Magic Mixes out there, Nice one Joppa.
Im an Oldschool fan From England That used to buy A lot of Hip Hop Radio Shows From New York via Tapekingz. Seeing that the web is very short of these i have just set up my own website dedicated 2 these, i buy, sell & swap mixes, Check out madflavaz.com for more.
Cheers Joppa & keep doin what your doin,
Rob

Yes Y’all, I was 15 at that time in The Boogie down 149 St St & 3rd AVE (my parents move to Puerto Rico but i stay in the hood) I still remember my TDK & Maxell tapes. I have to look on my shoe boxes, may be a found a few tapes. Good times in the 80′s.

courier systems,inc
July 2003 – February 2008 Truck Driver bayonne, NJ
My Duties was to Drive and deliver office supplys to customer’s in mahattan new york office buildings heavy lifting and moving up to 2000 pounds and fulling out paper work.

I also have a lot of wbls mix tapes as well as recorded shows, featuring Frankie crocker-rickie ricardo-pat pesscott & Early days of the quiet storm, plus many more hours of good 70′s & 80′s radio recored on from wbls

Magic’s presence and his voice has forever left it’s rubber stamp on hip hop. Magic taught me hip hop when the rest of the world knew not. Magic’s voice was reason before I knew what a “voice of reason” was. Magic birthed an energy inside of me that made me want to know more about the culture I was a part of, some of which I might have missed because of geographics, and people who were relevant to the culture. Magic is at the forefront of a culture (still), and I look forward to seeing his name everywhere where respect is due to a sound, a movement and the culture we know as hip hop. Peace to KRS-ONE, DOUGIE FRESH, BAM, ZULU, RUSSELL, HERC, EAZY, SHANTE’, FLASH, and others. I could never feel the anguish you do right now. My condolences. We are family.
Relentless Aaron

Not only did i grow in this era i was a part of it. I used to live right over marley in queensbridge so i had a chance to see and hear everything. I’d watch marley make alot of the juice crew songs and play them on the radio the same night,those were the days. I did see Mr Magic a few times to ride with marley to wbls every once in a while. Magic was a cool dude and will greatly be missed.

RIP Magic. A true brother. I remember those nights at WHBI when rap was only heard from 1am -4am. Magic always put together a tight program. Then after the radio show we would head to the Fever (Disco Fever in the BX) and chill with up and coming stars in the game. Kurtis Blow, Whodini and many more. Magic was the cement, the glue that held it all together. His memory should live on because he was extremely instrumental in the development of Hip Hop as we know today.